With the pandemic occupying centre stage for the majority of 2021, we were resting on our couches and beds in front of streaming devices. Major successful shows aired this year, and fans gushed over several seasons from the previous year. Although the pandemic caused a lot of production houses to halt their shooting, some new releases and delayed starts to new seasons on platforms Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ drew the attention of web series fanatics. We look at some of such web-series here.
Squid Game
Squid Game was the breakout success of 2021, demonstrating that the Battle Royale genre is an untapped market content-wise. The last-man-standing theme combined with survival, exploration, and scavenging components became everyone’s #1 streaming recommendation and dominated the Netflix Top 10. By late September 2021, the South Korean series that slammed the meritocracy had risen to the top of IMDb’s MOVIEmeter chart, inspiring a slew of memes, think pieces, and Halloween costumes.
Mare of Easttown
Before its premiere in April 2021, the crime drama series with Kate Winslet nailing the Delco accent did not receive as much pre-release hype. But by May, everyone was talking about the show and Winslet’s portrayal of Mare Sheehan. It remained a Top 10 title for the whole of its seven-episode run, according to IMDb. Four Emmy awards, five Critics’ Choice Award nominations, and a nomination for two Golden Globe Awards is a testament to how critically acclaimed the show and its characters became since its release.
Money Heist
We bid a tearful farewell to our favourite bank robbers in red in the last episodes of the legendary bank heist series Money Heist aka La Casa De Papel. While many of the most popular web series had disappointing finales, the final episode of Money Heist was the ultimate showdown. With concise and straightforward writing and a closure for practically all characters, the tension for the big ending is well developed.
Loki
It’s easy to forget that the cunning God of Mischief is actually a villain because of Tom Hiddleston’s wit and charm. Apart from his penchant for deception, Loki captivated Marvel fans week after week, staying in the top ten of IMDb’s MOVIEmeter for all the seven weeks. Though fans are already looking forward to the confirmed second season, the show plays a bigger role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introducing the complex concept of alternate dimensions, which can be expected to intertwine with upcoming films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Loki has the highest audience score on Rotten Tomatoes too.
WandaVisionÂ
In terms of average review score, WandaVision has the highest IMDb Metascore. It wasn’t supposed to be the first of Disney+’s Marvel series, but an unexpected turn of events led to Wanda Maximoff becoming the MCU’s bizarre, new fourth phase’s welcome guide for everyone. WandaVision’s plot became bolder, more risky as it took on a high-concept story, and one that took the time to properly turn two of the studio’s slightly less-popular characters into icons for the fandom to obsess over. WandaVision was a reminder of how genuinely fascinating the studio’s projects can be when it manages to find the exact balance between mystery, intrigue, and superb narrative.
Family Man
Manoj Bajpayee’s portrayal of Srikant Tiwari had spawned a cult following when it first came in 2019.  The Family Guy, with an 8.8 IMDb rating, became an iconic espionage thriller series featuring Bajpayee who plays the role of a man who lives a double life while secretly working for the NIA unit. The most amusing aspect of Family Man is his wilful ignorance in family problems, which makes the character’s remarks hilarious. Samantha Prabhu’s performance in the second season also stirred a keen interest among critics. The plot, gritty and intriguing loaded with excellent performances received 11 nominations for Filmfare OTT awards, winning five of them. It has an 8.8 IMDb rating.
Aspirants
TVF, India’s web pioneers, are the experts on the subject. It produced a one-of-a-kind show with Aspirants — a reflection on the past and present of three UPSC aspirants — Abhilash, Guri, and SK. The series portrays UPSC aspirants and their problems in a very realistic way. The writing, plot, and realistic characters are well suited to the Indian youth who are pressured to excel academically.
Dhindora
A slice-of-life drama developed by YouTuber Bhuvam Bam featuring himself as the titular character is centred around the life of a middle-class family and the events that occur after an unexpected purchase. Bhuvan, in his signature elder guy role, is so sweet and amusing that you can’t help but fall in love with him and his common man troubles. Bhuvan himself portrays all three characters, as well as six additional characters, in his popular YouTube channel, BB ki Vines. These characters are also well-known on YouTube and have a large fan base.
